The invention relates to a device disposed in the roof area of two articulated vehicle parts, more specifically of a rail vehicle, for limiting the roll and/or pitch movements of the vehicle parts relative to each other, the device comprising at least two consoles, at least one console being respectively disposed in the roof area of a vehicle part, the at least two consoles being connected with each other by a coupling arm.
Joints between connected vehicle parts are sufficiently known. It is more specifically known that the bottom joint bearing must absorb all the forces appearing in the radial and axial direction. This means that this bottom joint bearing serves to transmit forces that appear, as such, during cornering, as well as push and pull forces when braking or pulling such an articulated vehicle.
However, articulated vehicles are also subjected to the effects of a plurality of forces, which are caused in equally great numbers by movements of the vehicle parts relative to each other, namely movements that occur when such a vehicle drives around a curve as well as movements of the vehicle parts relative to each other when such a vehicle drives over bumps or over a crest. In addition to such pitch movements, so-called roll movements of the vehicle parts relative to each other also occur when the vehicle parts are twisted relative to each other about their longitudinal axis. Translational movements also occur when a rail vehicle consisting of several vehicle parts drives for example over an S-shaped railroad switch.
In addition it must be ensured, more specifically with rail-bound vehicles, that the structure gauge of the vehicle remains relatively small. The structure gauge refers to the radial space needed by the vehicle as a whole during travel movements of the vehicle. In this respect, extreme roll movements of the vehicle parts relative to each other particularly result in a great structure gauge. Such a great structure gauge is undesirable in that considerably more space must be provided for the vehicle along the track. Providing a large space for travel movements of the vehicle is correspondingly expensive, more specifically in the construction of underground railways.
In order to prevent roll movements of the vehicle parts relative to each other without having to implement specific measures on the vehicle parts themselves, EP 0 983 931 B1 discloses a slidable lattice stand configured as a joint hinge disposed in the ceiling area, the ends of the joint hinge being articulately connectable to the one or to the other vehicle. Since the slidable lattice stand is arranged transversely to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, roll movements can be prevented while allowing for pitch movements.
However, more specifically rail-bound articulated vehicles composed of many parts are known, in which only some vehicle parts have a bogie. This means that in a 5 membered vehicle for example, the front, the rear and the middle vehicle part respectively have a bogie. The two vehicle parts located between them are configured in the manner of litters and carried by the adjacent vehicle parts with the respective bogie. In order to prevent them from folding, such vehicles must be substantially rigidly connected to each other. However, several such vehicle parts are nevertheless connected to each other in such a manner that pitch movements between the vehicle parts are possible since driving through hollows or over crests would otherwise not be possible.
In this context EP 1 038 761 B1 discloses disposing a swivel joint in the ceiling area of two hinge-linked vehicles parts, wherein an arm, whose end may be rotatably seized by a claw, is provided on one of the vehicles. The claw has two guide rods disposed at an angle relative to each other for connection with the other vehicle part. Hereby it is essential that the two hinge points, i.e. the hinge in the ceiling area as well as the hinge in the floor area are disposed flush immediately one above the other. In this respect, it is furthermore provided that the two guide arms have an adjustable length. With a connection of the prior art according to the afore-mentioned EP 1 038 761 B1 in connection with a ball joint disposed in the floor between two articulated vehicle parts, the ball joint allowing for three degrees of freedom for rotational movements but being blocked in the Z direction, a pitch movement of the vehicle parts relative to each other is not allowed. Also, roll movements are substantially not allowed by this device. In fact, it is assumed that the vehicle parts or the car bodies are elastic so that they absorb the occurring roll and pitch movements.
As has already been explained in the introduction, movements between vehicle parts of rail-bound vehicles designed in the above manner must be substantially impossible. However, it has been found that for stability reasons, the coachwork of such a vehicle part must be designed to be relatively rigid. It has also been found that when the coachwork of the vehicle parts is rigid and more specifically when such a vehicle part is stressed to the limit, i.e. when the springs are fully loaded and roll movements cannot be absorbed by the coachwork, the roll movements are transferred to the bogie. It is more specifically in such disadvantageous situations that there is a risk that the wheelsets of the bogie are unloaded on one side, which causes a risk of derailment of the vehicle or vehicle parts. This risk exists all the more when the rails or the track bed is heavily worn, for example when the rails on both sides alternately run at different heights, so that such a train must absorb twists in the track bed. More specifically with the afore-mentioned railway train, in which the vehicle parts have a bogie at the front and rear end and the middle vehicle part also has a bogie and a litter-type part is respectively disposed between the vehicle parts having a bogie, there is a risk that one of the wheel flanges will be lifted off the rails. It has already been pointed out elsewhere that it was hitherto assumed that roll movements could be absorbed by the coachwork of the rail vehicle. It has also turned out that particularly when trains travel on track beds that are heavily worn, even if they do not derail, the coachworks are damaged or worn down in a short time due to the impact of strong torsional forces.
In this context, DE 10 2004 014 903 A1 discloses providing a device in the roof area between two vehicle parts of a rail-bound vehicle, which tolerates roll movements to a limited extent. DE 10 343 536 A1 also discloses a device for limiting the roll movements between two vehicle parts.
In detail, such a device disposed in the roof area comprises an arm for connecting the two vehicle parts with each other, the arm being pivotably receivable by respectively one vertical axis on the vehicle parts, thus allowing for a limited roll movement. However, this is disadvantageous in that the limitation of the roll movement sets in abruptly.
DE 10 2006 013 404 B4 discloses another device for limiting the roll movement between vehicle parts of a rail vehicle, which has indeed proven its worth when used in practice but which has a relatively complex structure and is therefore relatively expensive. The same is true of the pitch and roll limitation device known from EP 2 500 234.